Fact x Importance = News #3: Vampire Weekend, Pavement, The Clash
By: Matt Tomiak
When the time arrives for Rockfeedback to compile the Greatest Albums of the 00’s list (not long now), there’ll most likely be an inordinate amount of records released in the UK in the month of January. To wit- The Greatest. LCD Soundsystem. Oracular Spectacular. Myths of the Near Future. Digital Ash.../I’m Wide Awake.... Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Vampire Weekend. Ah, Vampire Weekend. Those preppy, Paul Simon-digging NYC popsters will endeavour to stake their claim for two awesome early-year noughties LPs as they return with sophomore effort Contra on January 11. That’s its cover right there.
“Music scene is crazy, bands reform each and every day” as Pavement almost said themselves on 1994’s wry alt-rock scenester sideswipe ‘Cut Your Hair’. Well, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and Smashing Pumpkins have all done it, and now s'official, Malkmus and the boys are giving it a shot themselves at long last. Yup, the languid Californians are confirmed to reunite for performances on September 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th 2010 at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, New York, but we’re well advised to keep our eyes peeled for further dates across the globe next year.
Now, it’s no secret that the Bard of Barking, Mr Billy Bragg, is a massive fan of The Clash. His recent book, an exploration of British identity entitled The Progressive Patriot is dedicated ‘To The Clash – the flame you lit is still burning bright’ and therein Billy recounts the life-changing experience of witnessing his heroes in Victoria Park in 1978 ‘seal their mythical status as rock’s greatest rebels, nailing their ragged colours to the mast of political pop forever’ and describing a kinship with Joe Strummer as ‘both of us (felt) intoxicated with the conviction that we were in the right place doing the right thing at the right time.’ Great stuff.
Over thirty years on and Joe’s sadly no longer with us, but former Clash guitarist Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon shall be joining BB on stage at Camden’s Proud Galleries on 1st October in honour of the ‘Jail Guitar Doors’ initiative, a scheme launched by Bragg to grant prisoners access to musical instruments as an integral part of their rehabilitation. There’ll be a screening of ‘Breaking Rocks’ , a documentary detailing the trio’s re-recording of the 1978 Clash song ‘Jail Guitar Doors’ with a band comprising former inmates, from which the campaign takes its name. MC5’s Wayne Kramer, Foo Fighter’s Chris Shiflett and Sam ‘Cape Wear Cape Fly’ Duckworth are also taking part. (tickets www.seetickets.com / www.ticketweb.co.uk) I’ll be down the front bellowing along atonally to ‘Greetings To The New Brunette.’ See you there.
Artists in this article: Billy Bragg, Pavement, The Clash, Vampire Weekend